


Packless

by Emanemmy12



Category: Rookie Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-03-09 15:59:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3255815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emanemmy12/pseuds/Emanemmy12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just your regular old Werewolf AU, Officer Lunchbox style. Gail is a werewolf who has locked herself away from society for ~mysterious~ reasons. Her heart gets melted by Holly. (Originally from my tumblr)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was always such a relief to just run. Her mind always cleared easily and everything else seemed to melt away. The soft pads of her feet pushing off of the dirt of the forest barely gave off a sound except for the clack when her nails hit on a stone. Nothing was more thrilling. Gail had lived out here so long that it was natural. Her wolf form no longer gave her trouble, only gave her a way to keep people at a distance. These were her woods and there were often trespassers, though the numbers were decreasing now that there were reports of increased wolf activity. Ever since the accident, Gail had made sure to keep everyone as far away as possible. It was for the best, she told her parents and for once in her life they had agreed with her. Besides, a Peck with such a secret was not fit to be in the public anyways. They had bought a cabin far into the woods, far away from the city, far way from any cameras or prying eyes. Cash, no nonsense and no questions asked. It wasn’t illegal, but she was certainly never going to be traced back to her family. She shook her head, too many thoughts. This was why she had decided to go for a run. Sometimes the thoughts were too much, the silence, though usually blissful, was too much and so Gail ran. She ran until she could run no more and would often have to track her way back home through the woods for a day or two after. That was a least supposed to be the plan. Gail had barely gotten mid-stride when she heard something. She skidded to a stop quickly and sensitive ears pricked to the side as the crinkling of the undergrowth hit her brain. Her nose failed, taking in the scents around her. The musk of the ground, the crisp clarity of the river, the tang of the fall air, and the scent of home, of herself, were all familiar and right. However, the slight breeze brought with it the scent of something foreign, of something wrong and Gail couldn’t help the growl that escaped her throat. Human. 

She wove back in through the trees, making her way up the incline of the ground, all of her mind focused on remaining even more silent than she usually was. If it was a hunter, one wrong move and she could be shot. That knowledge set her on edge as she stalked through the dying underbrush. Luckily there were some spots that were densely covered on this hill still and Gail knew this part well, though by normal standards it could be quite treacherous, but not for her. As she got closer, the sounds of cracking and rustling only got louder. Whoever was out here was clearly not trying to hide their presence very well and that allowed Gail to relax. A hunter would have at least tried to be more quiet. But still, caution, she reminded herself. Not only could her appearance scare whoever it was, it was always best to wary. A flash of movement to the side caused her to turn her head, muscles tensing to run or fight, but the flapping of wings confirmed what her eyes now saw, just a bird trying to get away before winter struck. Gail paced in a small circle, trying to calm her nerves. It wouldn’t do to get antsy. She forced herself to lie down, tail twitching occasionally, and moved underneath a bush that still could hide a more than full grown animal. The sounds were getting louder and it seemed like the best idea to just hide. Gail couldn’t run without being heard or maybe even spotted. From the sound of it, they were trying to get up the steep side of the hill. Which was particularly stupid. This late in the year, with the leaves falling, the rocks would be covered and other surfaces unsuitable for humans would be covered by reds, yellows, and oranges. Why someone was making a trek through here at this time, Gail had no idea. But so long as they just went away, it would be fine. She had to make sure that no one found her, that no one knew that she was here. It was all to protect herself from the media circus that would have happened otherwise. The life as an experiment, as something to gawk at. No, whoever this was, they had to be kept away. No matter how bad they were at being quiet. It was at that very thought that a loud crack split the muffled noise of the forest. That was followed up by a series of thumps and then a cry of “FUCK.” It was a female voice. Gail blew out air in amusement. That served her right for trying to come out here by herself and do stupid things in Gail’s territory. She edged out from the bush, trying to see if there was a visual on whoever it was who fell. Seeing no one, Gail moved forward more, standing up and moving up to the crest of the hill. That gave her enough to see a body struggling to get up.

The woman pushed herself up, muttering curses and slowly moved her weight onto one foot and then the other. She gave a small cry of pain, quickly putting all of her weight back on her right foot. She gave one limp forward, clearly gritting her teeth and shook her head. “Alright then,” the woman said in an unusually calm voice. “This is fine. You have no idea where you are, you’re injured, and totally not close to anywhere where there is phone service. That’s fine, right? Yeah.” That was followed by a bitter laugh and Gail couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her. She shook her head to clear it. There was no need for that kind of emotion. The action, however, was slightly too aggressive and she knocked into a low hanging twig, causing it to break. A growl came to her naturally as Gail cursed the tree for deciding to poke her when she is clearly trying to be stealthy. Oh. Well shit. Her eyes snapped back to the woman who was now staring at her. “Oh great. Giant dog. Please let me not be hallucinating too,” the woman said, a small note of actual panic bubbling up in her words. Gail would have shrugged. Giant dog isn’t the worst description that could have been made, though the lack of knowledge of wolves made her slightly annoyed. She looked the injured woman and gave the equivalent of a sigh. It was highly annoying, but the closest shelter was, of course, her cabin. It was for miles. Paws clicked on the stones as she walked down, ears flicking as she watched for any movement but this badly prepared intruder. Gail noticed that as she got closer, more and more the woman seemed to get uncomfortable. Was she not a fan of dogs or something? Well that was just too bad. 

“Please don’t kill me. Not a big dog are you?” the words came out in that voice that people so often used to talk to animals that couldn’t understand them and Gail would have smirked. That was better. But still in order to save this person, Gail needed to find a way for her to walk. She circled the area looking for a stick large enough to be leaned on while the woman babbled to herself. “Oh jesus, Holly you are going to die aren’t you? I mean, this was just a bad idea. Why did you think that guy was giving you the right directions? This is probably his trained wolf and I’m going to get murdered. Right here.” There was a crinkle of leaves and Gail turned around to see that she had sat down, hands covering her face. Trotting over, Gail butted this Holly person with her head. Get up, she thought. The least you could do is get up if I’m going to save you. She tried to push Holly again and that finally got her attention. Gail yipped, trying to motivate this woman to actually move. Holly sniffled, but her hands fell from her face and she looked at Gail. “Good wolf?” she voiced hesitantly. As a reward, Gail licked her hand. The woman gave a small smile and deciding that that was enough smiles at her, Gail moved around and pushed. That at least finally spurred Holly to action. She carefully stood again, weight clearly favoring her right. “I can’t walk, wolf,” Holly informed her. “Not that you can really understand me, but whatever, right? I’m already stranded in the woods. No one is going to judge me for talking out loud to an animal. It’s actually probably a good thing. I’ve heard that some people can go insane if they don’t talk to something in a long time. I really hope that that doesn’t happen to me. I would like to be sane. Though maybe I’m already going if I’m talking like you understand me. I never really got the whole pet thing.” If Gail’s vocal cords were capable of groaning, she would have. Of course she would attempt to save a babbler. Though seeing as she couldn’t, Gail settled for moodily walking to Holly’s left and barking. Hopefully she was tall enough for this to actually work, but the woman was too busy talking to herself now that she didn’t seem to notice. Annoyed Gail gave a louder yelp which stopped the words and had her staring down at Gail. “Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of panicking?” Gail narrowed her eyes and growled. She couldn’t stand people who wouldn’t at least try to help themselves. A hand came down, tentatively patting her head. “Alright, alright. Save yourself first, I get it. Though I don’t suppose you know where there is any shelter do you? Because that would be great. I’m tired and hungry and pissed off and - “ There was another warning growl. “Oh right, no complaining.” Holly moved forward, unconsciously putting weight onto Gail’s head as she took a step. To help, Gail moved forward slowly and the woman realized what she was trying to do. “Are you going to be my walking stick then?” Gail licked her chops in reply, ears flicking agreeably. She turned slightly and walked forward, making Holly have to take a step if she wanted to stay upright. Alright, this could actually work. If, of course, no one passed out. 

They made an odd pair, Gail making a step which Holly then had to follow, but the rhythm felt natural enough after awhile. The pair worked, now in silence, through the trees and leaves. Gail would every so often stop to let Holly rest for a moment and try to figure out if there was anyone close by. Animals wouldn’t come close, not with the amount of noise Holly was making combined with Gail’s scent, but humans would be dumb enough to try for that sort of thing. Unfortunately for Holly, there didn’t seem to be anyone else that was stupid enough to want to come out here. She didn’t know how long it took for them to get to the cabin, but the sun was setting now and the coldness of the air was clearly affecting Holly as her arm was shaking, though that also might have been exhaustion. Gail really couldn’t tell. Spotting the shelter, an actual shelter, Holly blinked. “Oh my god, am I hallucinating?” Gail almost rolled her eyes. What was it with this chick and thinking that whatever she was seeing wasn’t actually there? They got to the door, though and Holly opened it cautiously, her other hand gripping Gail tightly. Ah right, Cabin in the Woods. What a dumb movie. Gail wagged her tail, trying to indicate to Holly that it was ok. It was sparsely furnished, just the bare minimum, and Holly found the light switch easily. She was obviously surprised that the light actually went on, but that was because she couldn’t have known there were solar panels on the roof. Her parents had made such that Gail would have everything she needed. They had done that much at least. Gail forcibly lead Holly to the bedroom, the poor woman was exhausted even Gail could see that. Sure, she also must have been hungry, but Gail was so not shifting back to cook for her and there was no way a fire wouldn’t occur if Holly tried to do something. With an effort, Holly managed to remove her shoes, place her glasses on a small bedside table and flopped down. She turned, looking and the wolf sitting there patiently. “I don’t know if you can understand me and I don’t really care, but don’t go. Please don’t.” Gail blinked at the words and bobbed her head. With that Holly finally shut her eyes, falling asleep momentarily. The only question was, what the hell was Gail supposed to do with her now?


	2. Chapter 2

Gail decided to pretend like she wasn’t there. It was the easier course of action for the time being. Of course, there wasn’t any reason why she checked to make sure that she had enough food for a normal person to be ok on or why she checked up on how long it took for sprained ankle to heal, nope. Gail was simply being prudent and checking to make sure that the connection was still working. She’d installed a satellite last week or so and hadn’t used it yet. That was why she was doing what she was doing. Gail tapped on the keyboard of the laptop, checking other events that had been happening in the world. It seems that she had missed a lot. Tim Hortons had been sold to Burger King, she noted with interest. Everything else was as expected, people were dying, killing each other, and were otherwise being repulsive. Gail shut the laptop and shook her head in disgust. There was a reason why she had agreed to this almost hermitage that her parents had suggested. They had said that she should stay out here until she felt ready, or something similar. Gail had merely smiled at them and nodded, but she had seen the fear in their eyes. They didn’t really want her back, no. Especially not her mother. Gail was damaged goods as far as her mother was concerned. Steve had been devastated. He’d yelled at his parents for suggesting it and then at Gail for agreeing. Guilt passed over her face as she remembered his outrage, but she had looked at his arm and other injuries and known that she had made the right choice. Now, Gail was not as sure any more. Maybe she could control herself better now? Now that she’d had time to adjust. It wasn’t worth the risk though. So why was she so willing to risk the life of this woman? Gail knew that she was dangerous. But perhaps, not here. 

She stood, the lack of movement getting to her. Usually Gail was content to sit there and rest for awhile, but she felt restless today. It had been ages since she had to deal with people who went her family. People who didn’t know. The question was now stay human or go back to wolf. Walking to the bedroom, Gail leaned on the doorframe to observe the sleeping figure of the woman. Objectively, this Holly was very beautiful, but obviously either far too trusting or a little stupid. Gail nearly laughed as she rolled over in her sleep, realizing that she had fallen asleep on top of her backpack. As silently as Gail could muster, she moved forward, reaching to gently pull the straps off and moved the bag to the floor. Gail wasn’t going to go through it, she didn’t think that that was necessary. Anyone who would be looking for her would have shot on sight so she assumed. The whole not exactly being human thing wasn’t really something that was very common, but Gail had read enough stories when she was younger to make some hypotheses. How innocent this woman had to be to just fall asleep in someone else’s house? Of course, pain does strange things to some people and obviously her presence was just that comforting. The utter defenselessness with which Holly slept was still slightly endearing, Gail noted with annoyance. Holly’s face was framed with tendrils of hair that had escaped the ponytail that it was pulled into and Gail sighed. She would accidentally capture someone like the Beast straight out of the fairy tail. She would have tried to help more by taking the ponytail out, but that was too risky. Instead Gail moved around the bed to close the curtains, when morning hit the sun was often very annoying for her if she forgot to close them and Gail wanted all signs to point to Holly staying asleep. That way she’d have more time to react in the morning. God, how stupid was she? She’d let a complete stranger into her home without any thoughts to the consequences or the risks. Gail could hear her mother’s voice scolding her for being thoughtless. “A Peck always thinks things through, Gail.” 

Holly groaned in her sleep, snapping Gail out of her thoughts. Was she waking up? Gail froze, her body tensing as she waited to see. It felt like ages passed until Holly rolled over and gave a small snore. Relief washed over her and Gail tip toed out of the room, shutting the door this time. It was better not to disturb someone who was sleeping. Plus how creepy would it be if she was caught staring at her? Answer: very. Gail was not in the mood to have someone screaming at her. Though really, it was her house.Well that settled the matter didn’t it? If a random human would freak someone out then she should just stay a wolf. With Holly taking up the bed, it would be more comfortable for her to be smaller. She grumbled, but made her way to the small couch in the main room, though it mostly had the kitchen supplies. The cabin was small, only three rooms, bedroom, bathroom, and everything else in the space left. Normally Gail didn’t mind the lack of space, but today was just completely and totally out of normal. Shifting to wolf form, Gail settled herself on the couch and waited for sleep to come. It didn’t’ come too easily like it usually did. Her thoughts were too distracting and at every noise, Gail had to remind herself that it probably wasn’t Holly getting up. It wasn’t until Gail could not keep her eyes open that she finally fell asleep. The last thought of the day was one of annoyance. If she stayed a wolf that meant that there would be no coffee for her to drink in the morning. That was clearly the worst part of this whole thing.

The morning came and the sun shone through the gaps in the trees to make it’s way right into Holly’s eyes. She groaned rolling over, the moment reminding her of the times when she used to beg her mom for five more minutes. There was a dull throb in her ankle and that shook Holly awake far faster than the light of the sun. She wasn’t dead, so that was a good sign. But damn was she hungry and sore. Holly yawned, rubbing her eyes to try and sat up. She observed the room and was stuck by the sheer lack of anything in it. Yes there was a closet, a chest of drawers, and the lamp on it’s table, but other than that there was basically nothing of real note. It was odd to say the least and she carefully inched her way onto her feet. There was a dull throb in her ankle, but it was light years better than yesterday. Gingerly, Holly moved forward, limping still towards the door. The events of the day before were fuzzy, clouded by pain and what she assumed where hallucinations. That was really the only explanation that would account for a giant wolf helping her to reach this cabin. First things first was get food. Of course, so long as she wasn’t going to die because of some creeper whose house this was. If she could recall correctly there hadn’t been a car or even a driveway for one. Holly frowned at that thought. Because if there was no place for a car then why was this even here? She shook her head, trying to stay calm. “Right, asses the situation. I’m injured, lost in the woods, and in some random person’s cabin. Either they are a good person who rescued me who seriously likes to get away from other people or I’ve found a serial killer or something equally terrifying. Hoo boy.” Holly let out a breath of air and shuffled to the door, opening it carefully. If there was someone else in this cabin then they’d probably already know she was here and be sharpening their knives. There was a closed door and a hallway leading to the open space. Keeping her back to the wall, Holly hopped over to the door and opened it. Her breath came back when she saw a simple bathroom. That was good. What was left was the open room. Holly took a breath and inched forward, leaning on the wall so that her ankle didn’t have to take too much weight. Some movement was good for it, but too much weight would put even more strain on the muscle and Holly wasn’t about to let that happen. If there was some freak out there who was going to try and keep her captive then they had another thing coming. Pulling what must have looked vaguely like a move pulled from a Bond movie, Holly looked around the corner. Well there was the kitchen area at least. She nodded and moved forward now turning to the right. There on the small couch was indeed the wolf from before. This time she absolutely could not be hallucinating. “Damn.” She observed the sleeping creature with a mixture of fear and interest. There was no mistaking this animal for a dog like she had before when she was close up. The couch was almost entirely taken up by it and that was at least space for 3 or 4 people on there, if they squeezed the 4th. Well at least she knew that there would be no harm from there and Holly relaxed. She watched for a moment, the rise and fall of the mottled white and brown fur almost relaxing. But then her stomach growled, loudly. Food, yes. That was most certainly needed. Holly turned her back on the sleeping beast, not seeing its eyes open slightly. She limped over to the kitchen, starting to look for any sort of food. There might not be any if this place was abandoned. 

Gail, for her part, roused herself as her mind connected the brightness with daytime. She gave a yawn and shook her head. Oh, Holly was up and going through her things. Clearly she thought that Gail was still asleep and had her back turned so Gail was content to watch. Though it seemed that Holly was particularly bad at finding things in cabinet and because it was morning and Gail couldn’t have coffee, she found herself getting more and more annoyed as the woman failed to find a bowl. She had miraculously found were Gail kept a box of cereal and was actually attempting to have a legitimate breakfast. What a nerd, Gail thought. That would be the only type of person who would be seriously injured and then try to have a balanced breakfast the next day. If it was up to Gail, she would have popped open one of the last beers she had stored and had that for breakfast. She huffed, her annoyance level rising as Holly missed the bowls again. Did she not realize she’d missed them like twice? Her tail twitched angrily and eventually it was just too much and it was too early for her to be having to deal with this shit. Vaulting herself up off of the couch, Gail shifted in mid air, striding over to the other side of the room and throwing open one of the cabinet doors to point. “Oh my god are you completely dumb? The bowls are here. Which you missed the last time you checked!” She exclaimed, turning her head to glare at Holly who was now starting at her like she had grown three heads. “Can I help you?” she snapped, putting her other hand on her hip and then her mind finally clued in. Oh, oh dear. Gail looked down, realizing that not only was she barely wearing any clothes, just a bra and underwear, but she had also revealed her true nature in one fell swoop of a bad decision. 

Holly blinked. “Did you just?” She turned to look at the couch and then back to Gail. “Why is your hair dyed if there is nothing else out here?” 

Gail raised her eyebrows, that being the last question that she would had thought to ever be posed to her. “Because I like it?” 

“Am I hallucinating? Because I swear there was like a huge ass wolf there a second ago. Is there something in the air here because I really haven’t consumed anything that out of the ordinary and I really don’t appreciate being called an idiot, because first of all, i don’t have my glasses on and oh god why am I talking to a hallucinatio- OW!” Holly rubbed her arm where Gail had pinched her. “Not appreciated.”

“I had to shut you up somehow.” Gail reached up and placed a bowl on the counter. “I’m real enough. You need to start believing what your eyes tell you. I’m, uh, going to get changed and then I don’t know. I guess we can play 20 questions. Eat,” she commanded before turning and moving towards the bedroom, leaving a confused and shocked Holly in her wake.


	3. Chapter 3

Gail would have hit her head repeatedly on the wall if it wouldn’t have rung out in the silence of the cabin. Gail Peck you are a complete and utter idiot, she told herself. You have revealed yourself in almost every single way you could have in front of a person over the fact that Holly could find a fucking bowl. Of course that could partially be blamed on her massive addition to caffeine but it was one of the human pleasures that still kept her from going full wolf. Though that didn’t really matter. The important thing here was that Holly couldn’t run, she was trapped here just as much as Gail was, though one was a self imposed prison. Gail had to be able to convince her in the time it tok her to heal not to release the information that a god honest werewolf was running around in the woods. Gail grimaced as she thought about the potential outbreak of cameras and prodding. No. That would just not have to do. She angrily pulled on a t-shirt, black, no nonsense, and opened the drawer to find a pair of jeans. It wasn’t that whoever she shifted that she lost her clothes, Gail refused to be that much of a cliché, but more so the fact that really Gail didn’t care. There was no one around to judge her or force her into the the usual standards and it was just so much easier. With the increased strength sometimes her clothes just ripped, very Hulk like. It was kinda cool, but Gail didn’t want to have to keep going to stores to actually get clothes. That meant people, people meant questions, which in turn lead to the potential of more people. Even back before she’d first turned Gail hadn’t enjoyed being around most other people and nowadays it was just self preservation that enforced it further. 

Finally having found a pair of jeans that wasn’t full of holes, Gail pulled them on and steeled herself to whatever was going to be waiting for her out there in the kitchen. It wasn’t going to be enjoyable. Though a small chuckle made it’s way past her lips. Why do you dye your hair? That was a hell of a first question. She took a breath and then remembered Holly’s glasses, moving to pick them up from the nightstand and curious, put them on for a moment before taking them quickly off. No wonder she missed the bowls. It was a wonder she had even seen the colored boxes of cereal. Her bare feet slapped on the wood as she walked and a small part of her mind really regretted not putting a mirror in the bedroom because she had no idea what her appearance looked like right now. Gail ran a hand through her hair and re-entered the kitchen area. Holly was seated in the only seat at the table, munching on dry cereal, hearing Gail, she looked up and swallowed. “Your milk went bad. I put it down the drain, but I have no idea where the recycling is. I mean, I at least assume this is all yours right?” Gail nodded. And so the many questions would begin. 

“Yup. Everything the light touches and all that jazz.” She moved to the table and having no other option decided to sit on the tabletop across from Holly, folding her legs underneath her criss cross apple sauce. Her preschool teacher would have been pleased. “So clearly I owe you answers, but you owe me some too. We agreed to complete honesty and do keep in mind that if I suspect that you are lying that I don’t use the fluffy form just for helping stupid travelers in the woods.”

Holly raised her eyebrows and mulled over the words for a second. “You know, I’m taking the whole everything I ever knew was wrong thing very well. The least you could do is be nice.”

“But I am being nice.” At that, Gail held out Holly’s glasses, smiling. She dangled them on one finger as if to say look I brought you a thing isn't that nice? “I also feel the need to protect myself from people. And you happen to fall under the category of people.”

“Hmm. Well I suppose that makes sense.” She grabbed the glasses out of Gail’s hand and set them on her face, smiling when things lost their blurry edges. “And it does answer why you are out here when there is nothing at all around. I suppose introductions are in order?” At Gail’s half nod and then lack of speech Holly continued. “I’m Holly and thank you, by the way, I think you probably saved my life.”

“Damn right I did. Who thinks it’s a good idea to just wander in the woods? Gail.” She supplied. “What exactly are you doing out here?”

At that Holly seemed to blush slightly. “Well it’s kind of a long story.”

Unimpressed Gail gave her a look. “Well neither of us are going anywhere. Are you making coffee?” she sniffed and gave a disappointed sigh. Gail scooted off the table and started going about her coffee routine. “Story, come on.” 

Holly sighed and leaned back in the chair. “So demanding. Well, I work as a forensic pathologist for the Toronto Police Department and I suppose you could say that I’m a bit married to my work.” If she saw the look of terror that appeared on Gail’s face at the mention of the police, Holly didn’t comment on it. “But my boss noticed that I hadn’t taken any time off in the three years that I’d been there. He insisted that I take a large vacation and would get someone to fill my spot for a month. Tried to talk him out of it, but well, he’s the boss. I decided to go somewhere quiet to write or something, but I guess that the guy who told me that there was an amazing camp site up here was pulling my leg or just plain old lying.” Holly gave another sigh. “I thought that I was on my way to a nice area so I got out of my car and tried to follow what looked like a path and I got lost and by the time you found me, I’d been wandering for at least 5 hours. So I wasn’t thinking properly at that point. Sleep helped though, so thank you for taking the couch.” Gail nodded. It hadn’t really been that much of a problem for her. The whole story confirmed what she had already figured. Holly was just as much of an idiot as she was. Gail poured the now brewed coffee into her cup, followed by an obscene amount of sugar in Holly’s opinion. “How many of you are there? Like shifter people or werewolf? Do you get crazy during a full moon?”

Gail snorted. “I only really get crazy when I’m PSMing, but I think that’s a normal thing.” She walked back to the table, taking up her position on the top again. “As for how many?” She took a sip of coffee. “I have no idea.”

“Oh. That’s kind of sad.” 

Gail shrugged. “It works for me. I think it really does put the lone in lone wolf though. Not that I really mind. It’s nice out here.”

“Don’t you get lonely though?” Gail shook her head and took another sip of coffee. She didn’t have any more real questions for Holly, but she still felt like she should answer more of hers. “I’m just thinking that I would, I guess. It’s just you…”

“Well Steve visits. Sometimes.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Ew no. Brother.”

“Sorry. Parents?”

“Too busy.”

“Mmm. I see.” Holly fell into silence, her eyes traveling across the features of this surprising new introduction to her life. Being a woman of science, the supernatural had always seemed foolish, childish, even, but there was no denying the evidence that was right before her eyes. This beautiful, but infuriating woman was everything that Holly had been told couldn’t exist. “Can you change at will or is it tied to something?”

“At will, it seems. Don’t even have anything special with the moons as mentioned previously.”

“Huh. I see. That just… it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Oh believe me, I know. It was weird to adjust at first, but it’s fine now.”

“So you weren’t born like this?” Gail shook her head. “When did it happen? Did you get bitten? What needed adjusting?”

Gail held up a hand. “Easy there, science girl. One thing at a time or else I’m never going to answer everything. No, I wasn’t born like thing, just kind of happened probably 4 years ago, needed to adjust to the smells and sounds and extra brawn.” 

“Right, ok, yeah.” Holly shook her head. “This is so insane.”

“You’re telling me. You don’t have to live with it.”

“Sorry.” They sat in silence for a few moments after that. Holly processing everything while finishing her dry and gross cereal while Gail caffeinated properly. “Who else knows?”

“Mom, Dad, Steve, and now you.” Gail paused. Maybe now was as good a time as any to express what she wanted. “Kinda like to keep that list from getting any longer.” Holly gave a slow nod. Of course. That made total sense. She could see that uncomfortable fidget that Gail made when she brought it up. “So I mean, if you could keep the word to zero then you are welcome to stay here for your vacation of whatever. I don’t know where you put your car, but you aren’t getting to it on that ankle any time soon.” 

It wasn’t what she had been expecting at all. Holly had thought that Gail was going to kick her out, but apparently not so. She looked at the woman sitting on the table, legs crossed and her blue eyes pleading slightly. Holly found herself almost a little ashamed of having interrupted the solitude. Though this removal from people had been exactly the type of getaway she’d been looking for. Minus the whole getting every known concept blown out of the water part. “I mean if you want I can leave. I promise I won’t say anything either way, but if you prefer to be alone.”

“Stay.” There it was again another command. Similar to Gail telling her to eat.

“Ok then, I will. It’s nice here.” 

“Good. I mean. You were looking for a woodsy thing anyways. I can go get actual food and stuff and I do have internet. So in a way it’s better.” Don’t be silly, Gail wasn’t lonely. It was all a tactic to see how trustworthy this Holly was. Because otherwise she’d have to get her parents involved. “Plus ankle.” At that reminder, Holly sighed and Gail felt her victory. A hand went up and was going to run through her hair when Holly realized it was still in the ponytail that she’d managed to pull her hair into. Gail snorted. “Smooth.”

“Gee thanks,” Holly said, reaching to shake the pony tail out. It did the usual weird poof from being held so tightly, but with the way Gail was dressed, Holly didn’t really think she’d judge. “So you are sure if it’s fine if I just stay here and write?” This time it was Gail that nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. “Ok, well. Not what I was exactly expecting in the next a million years. But it’s nice.”

“I know. It is beautiful. Gives you plenty of time to think.” Gail hopped off of the table and set her mug down. It was her favorite with large letters spelling out DAD. Something about it just amused her and so she had stolen it from her own father when she had moved out here. “So, I’m going to run to town. Is there anything in particular that you want? Allergies I should be aware of?”

Holly raised her eyebrows. “No allergies, but how about I write you down a list, if you are going to be so kind. Have any paper?” Gail thought for a moment and then knelt to pull out a stack of paper plates and looked up at Holly. 

“I’ve got these?” 

With a laugh Holly shook her head. “That will do I guess. I have a pen in my backpack. Smallest pocket on the front.” Gail nodded and wandered off to retrieve the item while Holly shook her head. This had been the craziest day and something told her that if she stayed here that things wouldn’t get any less so. But it was nice. There was an odd comfortableness that Holly felt here. Maybe it was the fact that Gail clearly just didn’t care. Holly smiled to herself. It might not have been normal by any means, but she just might enjoy herself here and in fact found herself thanking the asshole who gave her the wrong instructions. Thanks to him, she was now part of an exclusive ring of people who knew that this world was full of even more wonder than anyone could believe. Holly was in the midst of these thoughts when Gail returned with the pen, dropping it in front of her which caused her to jump. “Oh, Gail. Didn’t hear you.” There was a chuckle from the other woman who wandered back around into Holly’s vision and Gail leaned on one of the counters. 

“List, hurry up. I am literally running there so don’t make it too large.” Holly ducked her head and started jotting things down what she could think of that were essentials. “Don’t worry though. I’m only running to my car and back.” That earned her a glare. Gail laughed and waited in silence until Holly held up the plate. “Alright then. Sit tight. If you need internet then you can grab the little stick thing out of my laptop and use that. There isn’t a password. Didn’t think I’d need one.” Holly nodded and watched as Gail moved to the door. 

“Don’t you need shoes?” That earned her another smirk. 

“I’ve got ‘em in the car. Don’t you worry. Take it easy on that ankle while I’m gone and please don’t set anything on fire.” Holly laughed and shook her head. 

“I rather prefer being able to sleep indoors, so I’ll try not to.” Gail smiled and with that was out the door. Once again leaving Holly alone to her thoughts. She shook her head and sighed. The whole conversation had been like some weird roommate application. But it was an adventure. So she was willing to give it a try. After all, she was all about growing these days, wasn’t she?


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the day was spent mostly in silence for Holly. Since there was no one else around, it was an intense silence, though the woods themselves did their best job to remind her that she wasn’t totally alone. When something would rattle or tap on one of the windows, Holly would turn her head, wondering if that meant that Gail was back yet. Of course, that wasn’t the case and eventually those little markers fell into the background noise of rustling trees and the sound of leaves falling. It was an odd mix of being outside, but also not being outside. As if at any second the floor would start sprouting green leaves and moss would begin to grow on the couch and countertops. The wood of the cabin was old, but sturdy. There were no rotten parts or anything that seemed warped out of place. It spoke to how carefully it was maintained, she assumed by Gail of course. It was something else just reassuring. A serial killer wouldn’t keep the house looking so pristine. Not that any decent serial killer would have revealed the fact they were a fairytale creature over the fact she couldn’t find a bowl. Holly chuckled at the memory. It had been an emotional roller coaster, but now that’d she’d had time to sit and think about it, things were just as they were. It might even be fun. Though the thing to note was that despite how loosely Gail held herself, she had made extra careful not to come in contact with Holly when she’d dropped the pen. Holly tapped said pen on her bottom lip and shrugged. putting the thought off for another time. She wasn’t here to unwrap the mystery of the other woman she’d just found, Holly was here to write a new book. She liked to start off from her memory, get that all down, and then go back to her notes to analyze the autopsy, the methods, and what results worked best from there. It didn’t make the process easy as there were many many cases up there in her brain swirling around, but it made it more natural, more human to her mind. Just because it was a scientific book didn’t meant that it had to be inaccessible to the public. As she worked, typing away on the small tablet she’d brought, Holly let her mind forget all that had happened. 

Finally she got stuck. Her brain absolutely refused to give her anything else and Holly sat back on the couch. She looked out the window and then checked the time. Gail had been gone for almost four hours. She’d woken up early enough that it was barely passed noon, but it just served to reminder her how alone she was. Things were just that far away. Alone in the woods. Stuck with a beautiful woman. A light blush fell upon her cheeks as her brain supplied the words “Almost like a honey moon.” There was no denying that the image of Gail scolding her while practically naked wasn’t something that Holly would easily forget. She scolded herself. Not only was this someone that she had just met, this was a person who had saved her life. Holly shook her head. She barely even knew anything about Gail. Besides of course, the largest secret of the blonde’s life. As she was musing on that fact there was a large thump on the door. Holly stood, shuffling over to the door and opened it cautiously only to be brushed aside by a bundle of fur which dropped two shopping bags that it was carrying in it’s mouth. No, she. It was Gail. The tail gave a little wag and Holly had to stop herself from the urge to kneel down and pat her head in congratulations for a successful trip. Gail moved and pushed Holly towards the bags and gave a commanding bark. It was obvious to see the woman behind the wolf and Holly laughed. “Are you telling me to put these away?” The tag moved faster. “Ok, but are you going to yell at me if I can’t find things again?” If wolves could roll their eyes, Holly would swear that that was just what Gail had done. And then the clack of the paws on the wooden floor was gone as Gail raced away outside again. Had she gotten more than this? Holly knelt to look at the bags and they seemed fairly full. She sighed and dragged the bags to the kitchen to begin the process of opening and closing all of the drawers and cabinets. They were mostly empty besides the ones that contained dishes, a bag of cheese puffs, the cereal from this morning, and a few canned goods. What the hell had Gail been eating out here? Holly tutted worriedly. If they were going to be sharing the space for however long, then she’d rather that her newfound roommate didn’t die due to malnutrition. 

Hearing someone come in, Holly turned to find Gail carrying another bag in human form. Clothed this time, Holly noted. So it wasn’t a hulk thing where her clothes got torn off. “Jeez you’ve barely started,” Gail commented, starting to busy herself by putting things away. Though it had been ages since she’d gone on a shopping trip, Gail always found the part where you put things away to be very fun. Holly stood back and let Gail whirl around putting things away. “I had to actually carry the breakable things. But running with four legs is a bit faster than two. Anyways, how are you? Sorry I took so long. I moved your car.”

“What?”

“Car moved. Next to mine. Nice ride by the way.”

“How the hell did you move my car?” Holly crossed her arms, not sure whether to be pissed or impressed. 

“Keys were in the pocket with the pen. And so I sniffed it out. Which I can do, you know. But the almost parking spot where I put my car is much much closer. Normally it wouldn’t have taken me that long to get groceries.”

“Well thanks? I guess. Can I have my keys please?” Holly held out her hand only to have them thrown in her direction. She caught them out of the air and Gail looked suitably impressed at the feat. “What? Are you one of those people who thinks people who go to med school are all nerds who didn’t play sports?” She raised her eyebrow at Gail. 

“Pssh, no,” Gail answered making a face that clearly indicated otherwise. It wasn’t her fault. She’d never hung out with anyone geeky enough to want to go through so much school. Holly just shook her head. 

“I’ll give that a free pass, but you still are in trouble for moving my car.” She gave Gail a pointed look and only received a grin in response. 

“You’ll thank me later,” Gail quipped and the pair fell silent as she finished putting things away. Holly shuffled back the couch to try and do work or something, but Gail stayed in the kitchen area. Once Holly was settled and seemed to not be paying attention, Gail focused on her, trying to gauge how she had taken everything. It felt absurdly normal for them to be bantering over moving cards and who was good at sports and Gail liked that. It was way more easy to interact with Holly than anyone else that she remembered. She supposed the fact that she knew about the fluffiness helped. Well there was one way to test out how comfortable Holly was. Shifting, Gail padded over to the couch and plopped down on Holly’s feet. She seemed surprised, but there wasn’t a comment. Gail was pleased and let her tail wag slightly. Holly chuckled and looked down at her. 

“Quick question, but what exactly is the petting policy around here?” At those words Gail bounded up, jumped onto the couch and wriggled her way underneath Holly’s arm to rest her head on the woman’s laugh. Holly smiled and leaned back to give Gail more room. “I guess that answers my question. I was just going to read a book. My brain isn’t cooperating with the whole writing thing.” Holly shrugged and looked at the screen again, a hand falling to scratch behind one of Gail’s ears. And just like that Gail could now say that she had experienced heaven on Earth. Whatever coherent human thought she would have had was eliminated by the sheer bliss of the scratchies. Though sadly they didn’t last forever. Holly got more absorbed in her book and her hand lay gently on Gail’s head. The arrangement was actually very comfortable and Gail found herself once again thinking that saving Holly hadn’t been a dumb idea. She stretched out properly and shut her eyes. This was nice, having another person around. Perhaps she hadn’t realized it, but Gail had been a bit lonely. She must have fallen asleep because the next time Gail opened her eyes, Holly was gone and sitting at the table. She whined, not having expected that sort of sudden betrayal of the cuddles and occasional scratch. Holly turned in the chair and gave an “awww” which in return got her a bark. “Sorry, Gail. You looked so comfortable, but I had to eat lunch. Call it pay back for the car, alright?” That earned her a growl and Gail stretched herself out to take up the whole couch. “Oh come on!” Holly shook her head. “Alright, but don’t expect any more scratches.” With that Holly turned in her chair, refusing to look at the quite literal puppy eyes that had instantly appeared on Gail’s face. Of course, that prompted the wolf to hop off of the couch and walk under the table to shove her head into Holly’s lap, making pitiful noises. “It’s your fault for complaining at me. I have to eat food. I enjoy living.” The logic didn’t solve anything and Gail had such a sad face that Holly relented. “Oh alright you big idiot puff ball.” Gail chose to ignore the insults and take it as a victory, returning to the couch and sitting proudly to wait for Holly. The pair settled back down to before, this time thought Gail didn’t fall asleep. Eyes may have been closed, but she didn’t need to see to take Holly in. The gentle rise and fall of the other woman’s breath and the gentle sound of a tap on the screen when she’d finished a page was relaxing, familiar almost. 

That was how they passed the next few days together, Gail in her wolf form taking up most of the couch while Holly did what ever it was that she was doing. It wasn’t like Gail particularly cared, she was too busy revealing in the fact that there was another person around, someone to talk to and to joke around with. She learnt that Holly was deathly afraid of bees when one made it’s way inside and Holly refused to come out of the bathroom until it was dead. Gail learned that there were sometimes when Holly got a sad look in her eye when she left to go run around the woods. Perhaps she is as lonely as me. That thought had planted itself in her mind when Holly had described to her over supper that being a forensic pathologist had strange hours and was often very off putting to people whenever she mentioned it. Gail had been surprised at that, the field being rather fascinating after she had badgered for an explanation. They worked so very well together that it was almost forgotten that they hadn’t known each other before. The leaves were slowly making their way to the ground and time seemed to slow, as if it would never be anything expect these woods, this cabin, and the two woman inside. It was a funny sort of feeling that affected them both. Often they would talk about things that had never been mentioned to other people in their lives. Gail finally told Holly who her parents where and how she’s always felt that she just wasn’t quite good enough for them, even more so after her abilities were discovered. There was a darkness in her face that made Holly think that perhaps there was more to the story, but she didn’t press. Instead she told Gail about how she’d never quite fit in and that left her feeling like there wasn’t a place for her, even when it came to her own friends. They just did not understand why she would “waste” her talent on bringing justice to those who were dead. Gail had smiled and assured her that they were idiots and what she did was something that Gail deeply admired. Holly had blushed and just nodded. These conversations had been had mostly over meals or right before to bed and then Gail typically shifted and left. It still bothered her that when Gail was in human form that she seemed to avoid any type of physical contact. Not that Holly really minded, she wasn’t an overly huggy person, but usually when living with someone there was a brush past or a friendly nudge, or at the very least something. She’d even tried to test it, moving in close to Gail as she reached for something in the cabinet. Gail had actually physically moved. And yet when she was in wolf form, Gail was everything but avoidant. It was baffling. After one of their quiet conversations, not about anything too serious this time, Holly decided that maybe she should ask, but Gail was already moving. “Gail, wait.” The blonder turned, a smile on her face and Holly forgot her intentions entirely. “Why don’t you stay? I mean it’s your bed. You shouldn’t be out on the couch all night.” 

“Holly, I,” The smile fell into a tense line as Gail tried to find the right words. “I can’t. Sometimes I sleep shift.” 

“Why is that a problem? You are fluffy in one form and warm in the other. It gets cold at night. And you said you didn’t have a comforter because you don’t feel the cold, but I do. It’s better for you to not be so cramped.” There were sometimes when Holly had woken earlier to see Gail, human-Gail, draped over the ends of the couch. Gail shook her head. And Holly frowned. This time she would press. “Then why?” 

“Because….because, Holly, I know that we don’t talk about it but I’m not normal anymore. I’m not safe. So I can’t risk getting close.”

“Not safe? I don’t think I’ve ever felt safer here. I mean, you saved my life, Gail.” 

Gail gave a small shake of her head. “No, that’s not it. I’m. Holly. Please.” She turned away and gestured into the air. “You don’t know what I’ve done. I’m, I’m a monster.” Her voice choked on the words and Holly felt her heart sink. 

“No. Gail, you aren’t. It isn’t your fault that this was just thrust upon you.”

“Oh, oh but I am.” Gail turned back towards Holly, her eyes locking with Holly’s. “You don’t know what I’ve done, what I’ve had to do. At the beginning I couldn’t distinguish the difference between human and wolf. It was a mess of instinct and logic and all of my fears. Sometimes it would be too much and I would snap into clarity, my arms covered in the blood of some animal, with a taste of iron in my mouth, and I would have no idea how I got there. That’s why the kitchen was so bare before you, you know. Because even though my brain finds it repulsive, sometimes I just, I just have to hunt. There was, there was one time. God. He was trying to calm me down when my body decided that it didn’t want to be human anymore. Steve, he reached out to me, thinking that I had my mind and I jumped on him. I nearly tore his face off, but thank god I only broke his arm before I snapped out of it. I am dangerous, Holly. I can’t control it that easily.” Those words were poured out with such guilt and self-loathing that Holly’s heart broke to hear that Gail had been holding these thoughts by herself and she stood and moved towards Gail who flinched, trying to move back, but Holly had caught her wrist. “Let go, I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“But you won’t.” 

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do. Gail, you can’t blame yourself for accidents. You weren’t yourself, thrust in a position that no one else has been in, but that’s ok.” Her hand tugged Gail in closer and Holly noted that there was barely any resistance. “You aren’t a monster, you are just different.” Her other hand captured Gail’s wrist and those blue eyes lost the ice within them as she stared at Holly. “You’ve been through something terrible and Gail, there have been so many times where you could have hurt me, but you haven’t. You’ve grown, adapted, whatever you want to call it, but you aren’t dangerous.” Gail shook her head in protest, but followed as Holly moved backwards to sit on the bed and let herself be tugged on as well. “You are wonderful as you are. You are so strong too. Not many people I know could stand being out here alone, but you manage every day.” 

Gail scoffed. “It isn’t that simple, Holly.”

“I know. But you aren’t going to hurt me. So stay.” Gail nodded dumbly, the fight having left her once that initial contact had been made. How long had it been since she’d touched someone else? Gail couldn’t place it. Though Steve came, he tended to be more fond of the wolf form when it came to affection. She froze as arms encircled her and pulled her so that she was lying down. “Good night, Gail,” Holly said, one arm moving to click off the light. Still Gail said nothing as she felt the odd sensation of being next to someone after so long. Her body remain ridged for a good portion of the night. It wasn’t until Holly’s gentle snores filled the air that Gail felt something in her melt and she settled in next to the other woman, wrapping her own arm across Holly’s stomach to pull the one person to break her last defenses down closer. That night was one of the most peaceful nights that Gail had ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

That morning she awoke in a tangle of limbs hooked on to someone else’s and Gail gave a soft smile. Mornings had never really been her thing, but there was a weight off of her chest that just let the sun’s light seem all the more bright. She propped her head up on her hand, Gail watched the gentle rise and fall of Holly’s breath and the way her eyes would flutter as she slept. She didn’t say anything, not wanting to wake the other woman or break the gentle silence that surrounded them. Silence was comfortable with Holly, easy to drift in and out of as somehow they were in a permanent conversation that just played out in the silence anyways. There were many things that Gail never thought would happen to her, but finding someone who just seemed to understand her as well as Holly did was in the realm of impossible that Gail very existence was now for most people. Though really she should be used to impossible things now. She reached out slowly and carefully to push a soft wave of hair out of Holly’s face and sighed happily. It was just such a relief to be able to relive that simple touch. Her movements were still hesitant and absolutely reverent as if as any moment the gift that Holly had given her of being accepted could be taken away at any moment, and to Gail, it could. Despite the words Holly has spoken, those thoughts and fears were not just going to magically disappear. Gail had carried that guilt around for so long that it had become a part of her in a way. Holly gave a small sigh in her sleep and Gail smiled further. Somehow she didn’t think that Holly would ever truly understand what she had done for Gail. People, even when she was around them, had always been a painful mystery. They wanted honesty and then they rejected it. Gail had tried, tried so hard to be successful and have people want her, but there had always been someone that had been better, been kinder, been something else. She didn’t feel that way with Holly. Perhaps it was due to the lack of anyone else around, but it just felt different. Gail sighed and settled back down on her pillow, disentangling herself from Holly. Her head turned to still keep vision on the other woman and her eyes wandered across Holly’s face, taking in the sight yet again. It was just endlessly fascinating to her to watch those features, how they easily turned to that half smile when Gail said something funny made Gail’s heart soar. In that moment her eyes touched upon those lips that made that smile that Gail had decided to try and see as often as possible and her mind sent a thought that damned her right then and there. What would it feel like to have those lips pressed on hers? 

That very thought sent a gentle wave of warmth through Gail as she blatantly stared. It had been a very long time since Gail had had that physical feeling of someone else kissing her and the way her body reacted so quickly and readily to the thought made her blush. It hadn’t been like she’d never had the urge to have sex ever, but taking care of yourself was never as fun. Her mind wandered in again, wondering how exactly Holly would be in bed. You could never really tell from outside appearances. The brawniest scary looking man could be the most gentle lover and the sweetest looking one could be the most demanding. Gail had never been with a woman. There has always been a small desire kept close to her heart and secret to try it, but never a chance. Too much fear of what that would mean to her parents. Perhaps yet another failure at being what she was supposed to be and Gail had not been willing to test it. But that didn’t matter here. What did was the way her breath caught at the thought of Holly looming over her with that smirk on her face, a hand slowly moving down her stomach to—. Gail shook her head. These weren’t thoughts that you should be having about someone who just recently became your friend. Especially not one that was so much better at being her friend than anyone else was. Gail took a breath, obviously she was just frustrated. It happened, no big deal. The only problem was there was another woman in her bed and Gail couldn’t take care of it. She huffed and pulled the covers up, blocking the insistent sun that was licking around the corners of the blinds to try and announce the morning. Gail felt back asleep a few moments later, though the thoughts of that morning were sure to follow her for the rest of the day. 

It made it hard not to blush when Holly gave her a wide smile and leaned over to kiss her cheek while wishing her a good morning. It made it hard not to fidget and pull away at the added random touches here and there. They weren’t anything much, just well meaning pats on the back or her arm. The physicality was not only something that Gail had to get used to again, but also made more of a challenge by the thoughts of the morning. She hoped that Holly just wrote it off as her being unused to it. Gail would have hated for her friend to think that even after those beautiful reassuring words that she still wanted to avoid her. Of course things would get more complicated after Gail had already settled into the routine of having Holly there. It seemed surreal that so little time had passed. Eventually it was too much to try to combat the thoughts her brain was giving her and the enjoyment of being close to someone yet again and Gail shifted. It gave her a better line of defense from her own brain. As a wolf things were categorized differently and the emotions she felt towards people sometimes shifted. For her mother, when Gail was human there was love, but also the bitterness and fear of disappointment, but when she was a wolf, it was just love, respect, and loyalty. It was so much easier. The complexity of human interaction was just not capable and Gail needed that right now. To her relief, the desires faded and were replaced with a very strong protectiveness. It was only temporary, but Gail decided not to deal with humanity for the time being. 

The respite lasted until suppertime and Gail was forced back into the confusing world of the affection, attraction, and desire she had for Holly. It left her smiling at the odd jokes and puns that so often peppered their conversations. It left her breathless when Holly would turn that smile towards her. It left Gail speechless when after the dishes had been put away and they were moving to get ready for bed Holly pulled her in for a hug whispering softly that she was grateful for the effort and that she was so proud and in awe of how strong Gail was. Of course her mind supplied the thought of how the hug lingered and what that meant. How were these feelings meant to be stopped? And at that, her heart supplied a final answer. They weren’t.


	6. Chapter 6

Holly was still unsteady on her ankle. It wasn’t hurting constantly, but there would be moments when it would give her trouble. She had faltered and Gail had instinctively put out her hand to steady the other woman. The funny part was that Gail was a bit too far away to actually catch Holly without extending herself just a bit too far. The result was Holly falling over and Gail falling on top of her. This was awkward and it was painfully cliché. Gail searched to see if there was anything wrong and then had frozen with the sensation of simply being this near Holly. Sure they slept together in the same bed, but the only time when they were really this close was when Gail was not human. Or when she woke up to find that Holly was practically on top of her. She preferred it that way. It was less likely to incur the rejection that she felt was around the corner. The last thought startled her. Holly was not like other people, she reminded herself. “Uh, Gail?”

“MM?” The response came out more than a little panicked. Her mind had decided to wander down the path of what if Holly had gotten mad at her. Gail knew with certainty that her mother would have screamed bloody murder, thinking that her daughter had gone mad with bloodlust again.

“As much as I love a good movie moment, I would really prefer it if I wasn’t on the floor.” Holly grinned up at Gail who flushed and quickly pushed herself up. She held out her hand and Holly took it, letting Gail pull her up. She laughed and Gail felt her heart do a strange flip flop, a half smile appearing on her face. All that worry for nothing. Gail drew in a breath through her nose and looked down at Holly’s ankle. She had thought that it was improving. “Sorry to pull you down with me. I still forget that I’m technically injured.”

Gail furrowed her brow. “How long do these sorts of injuries usually last?”

“You know I’m not a live people doctor, right?”

Gail rolled her eyes. “I’m intimately acquainted with what a forensic pathologist does, Holly. You still need to know about injuries and how they work.”

Holly raised an eyebrow, but didn’t push. Her new friend had a complicated history and she didn’t want to press her. Gail had been overly kind to her, a kindness she would have never expected from a stranger, though now Gail was everything but a stranger. Their time together had formed a fast friendship, one that Holly had decided she wanted to hold onto after her month was up. Though that may have been motivated by the slowly growing attraction she felt for Gail. It was not that Holly didn’t have friends, she did, and it wasn’t like they weren’t good people, but Gail made her feel like her presence was wanted, valued even. There were moments where it seemed like they had known each other forever and were just reconnecting after a time apart. Whatever differences there were between each other seemed inconsequential. Her thoughts kept to herself, Holly answered the question. “Usually there are improvements after two weeks.”

“Well then, you should be better in like four days. Hurry up. I want to show you things without having to worry about if you are going to play teeter totter.” The words were spoken with impatience, but Holly knew better. Gail, in her way, was concerned.

Holly ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “It’s probably because I haven’t really moved that much. If I recall my med school days.”

“Which were oh so long ago,” Gail teased. It earned her an admonishing punch to the shoulder. “Hey!”

“You so deserved that, you ass. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be super human, I doubt that even hurt.” Holly gripped the counter and lifted her foot, rotating the ankle a bit. It didn’t hurt until she slightly overextended it. The healing process was going well and she could put pressure on it without looking like she needed a cane, but it was still weak and Holly noted that she needed to remember that. Gail watched the process with interest as Holly went through the motions again, flexing her muscles as far as they let her without too much pain. She wanted to go see the places around here that Gail considered important. The goal of her book was going very well and was quickly reaching the point where she would need to stop and add the actual science. With very little to do here, and very comfortable conditions, Holly had found it easy to just let herself write. The creative process was one of the more difficult things for her, so the fact she was doing well eased her worry that she might not finish. “You are right though, I am getting a little stir crazy. I am sure that I could go outside, but last time I didn’t do so hot.”

Gail nodded. Then she got an idea. “Holly. I know you aren’t totally healed, but we could still totally go out. Once your ankle starts giving you trouble, I can just twilight you!”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah it’ll be great!”

“No, no, I require an explanation here. What exactly do you mean by Twilight me? Because if you are going to become a long book that has very not ok undertones, then I might have to book it out of here.”

Gail snorted. “I see your point. Let me rephrase then. I’ll give you a piggy back ride.”

Holly tilted her head. “Gail. First of all, I’m a grown woman, second of all, you are tiny.”

“Oh my god.” Gail rolled her eyes and walked over to the small couch and using one hand easily lifted it. “It isn’t like I’m freakishly strong for someone my size or something. Come on! We can have a picnic by this beautiful stream. It’s not quite waterfally, but it’s very close. And I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Then Gail did the most adorable pout. Needless to say, Holly caved. Gail grabbed all that they needed and the readiness that she had the stuff made Holly think that she had been planning it. An assumption that was, of course, true, but Gail would never have admitted it. She had decided that, despite the confusion she felt towards Holly, she wanted the other woman’s stay here to be memorable. Perhaps, if she did well enough, Holly would come back. Gail had to admit that seeing someone other than her family every few months would be nice. It was easy to pretend she wasn’t lonely, but having someone around and seeing how nice that could be again was a relief. There was also the smallest thought that perhaps she was ready to be around others again. That was a long ways away though. Gail lead the way and tried not to baby Holly too much. She had always had the natural instinct to be protective of other people, even more so when she cared for them and that had only gotten stronger with her abilities. It was nice to just experience the nature without having to fill the air with conversation.

With the fresh air, Holly felt invigorated. Gail was right, this place was beautiful. She’d been able to walk there on her own two feet and it made it all the more exciting. Gail had insisted that she carry everything and Holly hadn’t bothered objecting. She’d realized that once Gail got something in her mind that there wasn’t much point in arguing at all. Holly waited indulgently while Gail laid down a blanket and fussed to get things ready. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that this was a date. The idea made her blush. Gail was only trying to be considerate. Once everything was ready, then she was allowed to settle herself onto the space Gail had made. It was fairly fuzzy and it tickled her ankles where there was a gap between her pants and socks. Holly shifted, bringing her knees up. She looked around while Gail busied herself on getting lunch. The stream that Gail had mentioned was nearby, but not close enough to splash, which was good. Even though whatever source that it came from should be freezing soon, the stream carried on like it had no idea of the threat to come. Holly found herself drawn to the way it burbled across the stones, noting where it caught the light and where it had to split around a rock that was too big. There weren’t as many trees in this area, so there wasn’t a threat of too many leaves clogging it either. It was peaceful and the sounds of the forest made it almost like a dream. How else could something be so perfect. The revere was broken as Gail flopped onto the blanket. Clearly the atmosphere wasn’t doing for her what it was for Holly. Perhaps she’d been here too many times for it to make her pause. When she looked over, Holly was surprised to see that at some point Gail had shifted. It was startling to see Gail in the woods again. That had been how they’d met, but it had been awhile and seeing her in the wild made Holly realize just how intimidating it could be to see Gail like this, but the tail that was wagging ruined the imagery of a fierce beast.

“Didn’t want me to get cold?” Holly questioned. She was letting Gail have the excuse, just in case. The tail moved harder and Gail’s ears twitched. “Oh fine.” Holly stretched herself back out and didn’t have to wait long until a blanket of fur was shoved onto her lap. Holly laughed and assumed the scratching duty that she knew Gail was waiting for. Sometimes it was odd to think that behind the very animal like qualities of this form was the sharp, funny woman that Holly had come to know. There was a freeness in her actions as a wolf that weren’t there. It pained Holly to think that Gail needed to hold herself back, but it also made sense. With such a strength difference, it was easy to see how, unless she was careful, that Gail could seriously hurt someone by accident. With how much Gail feared doing just that, Holly felt her heart give for her friend. Despite her sometimes brash and “I-don’t-care” attitude, there was a heart of pure gold inside Gail. She wondered just how many people had had to let Gail down in order for her to put those walls up. Holly resolved to never become one of those people. She almost wanted to say that, or hug Gail tightly, but instead she grinned and looked down. “Tummy?” Gail immediately rolled over and Holly chuckled. Even like this, she was still so damn adorable, though in a very different way.

They ate and stayed out for a bit longer, Gail taking it upon herself to run around and snap at the last falling leaves in her four legged form. Finally, it started to get dark and Holly was getting cold so she let Gail shift and change so they could make it back home. By the time they got back, Holly was feeling it in her ankle. She didn’t say anything to Gail. Honestly, she was a grown woman and just because someone you know is above average in strength, does not mean that getting a piggy back ride any more dignified. They were sitting on their respective electronic devices when Gail tilted her head to look over at Holly. “Hey, thanks for today.”

A eyebrow was raised. “If anything I should be thanking you. I’ve never seen anything so picturesque.”

“That’s true.” Gail gave a small smile. “I just went there a lot when I first got here. It’s pretty peaceful. It feels like I can be myself there.” Her eyes met Holly’s and Gail couldn’t help wanting to keep on looking. But not too long, that would have been creepy. “I mean, not that I can’t be myself with you, but uh, it was different when I was by myself and I’ve only known you for like a week and a half, but you make me feel a lot safer than most people do. I don’t want to make you freak out or anything, but I just really like having you around.” She was babbling now. It was a stupid nervous habit and Gail blushed. “It’s nice to have someone here who makes me feel like how I do when I’m out there, I guess?” Why was Holly looking like that at her, a look that was filled with just pure understanding and something else. It pulled Gail in and took her breath away. Their eye contract broke as Holly’s dipped slightly to look at Gail’s lips.

Holly reached over and rested her hand on Gail’s, a crooked smile appearing on her face. “Don’t worry, you aren’t freaking me out. I’ve never really met anyone like you.” To hell with it, Holly thought. She really liked Gail, time frames be damned. Sometimes when you met someone, you just knew. Of course, she didn’t want to take advantage of the fact that she was the only human contact Gail had had in awhile. Perhaps it had been so long for both of them to have a connection with someone that it would be a bit too rash to jump right in. Gail smiled back at Holly and whatever rational part that had been telling Holly she should wait a little longer and see how this turned out simply shut down. Her other hand came up to cup Gail’s face and Holly leaned in, her tablet falling from her lap to the crack in the couch, to kiss Gail. It was barely a brush together and then Holly pulled away slightly to gauge whatever it was Gail’s reaction would be.

Gail had been taken completely by surprise. A good surprise, but one none the less. She inhaled and moved in to met their lips again. Gail was tentative, it had been ages since she’d kissed anyone, let alone another woman. God she had been missing out on not trying this sooner. Holly’s lips were soft and Gail almost wanted to deepen it when Holly had to part them to take a short breath. This changed things. The attraction that they had both feeling for each other took hold, solidifying. When Gail drew back, Holly sighed, letting her fingers trail across Gail’s cheek to then fall back to her own lap. “Woah. That was,”

“Yeah.” Gail smiled as Holly agreed to her non-statement. “That was ok?”

“No, Holly, I kissed you back to show you just how not ok it was.” Gail gave her a pointed look.

“Good point, that was a silly question. But still. I mean, part of me wants to do the whole feelings talk and another just wants to kiss you again.”

Gail laughed at the complete honesty of the other woman. It did get her glared at, but it was so refreshing to have someone tell her exactly what they were thinking. She leaned back as if she was making a decision. “Well, let me see what I can do to help you figure out which part you should be listening to,” she said, shutting her laptop. Setting it down by the end of the couch, Gail turned to Holly more fully and reached over to pull Holly closer. Holly chuckled as she realized Gail’s intentions and let the processing part of her brain go.


	7. Chapter Seven

Holly was an amazing kisser. Gail wove her hands through the seemingly endless brown hair and barely registered when her back hit the couch. It was almost like being back in high school again and Gail shuddered at the memory. Sneaking around had never been as enjoyable as this was. Holly sensed the movement and pulled back. She did want to continue, but this was a lot all at once. “You ok?” she asked and reached up to push her hair behind her ear, a feat easier said than done. 

Gail took a second and took a breath. “Yeah, yeah. It’s just, a lot?” It came out as a question on accident. She was desperate to not scare Holly off. Gail knew that she was probably the lowest on the list of potential people that Holly would want to consider dating. Could they even date when technically Holly was stuck here? It wasn’t Stockholm syndrome was it? That was a silly thought. It wasn’t like she was forcing her to stay. Holly could have left at any time and Gail would have let her. It wasn’t in her nature to force someone to stay when they didn’t want to. She was many things but a fighter for love wasn’t one of them. Too many people had left her for her to ever consider trying to make them stay. 

“Yeah,” Holly agreed, catching her breath. “That was really nice. But,” 

“But?” Gail shifted away and Holly sat back fully. The feelings talk was kind of necessary, but with the feeling of Holly’s lips still on hers, Gail wished that things could have been simpler. Had she met Holly some other time. Earlier. Perhaps that would have changed things. She had known that she couldn’t stay here, stuck, forever, but there was now a potential line of hope within her grasp and Gail wasn’t about to let that glimmer go now. Against all the ways she had learnt to hide, both in her sarcasm and distance, she didn’t want to let Holly go. It hadn’t all been because of Holly, but knowing that someone else could know her secret and want her to be around was an extra boost. Gail had been contemplating a change and there seemed to be no reason not to move forward. That was the scary part. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do now. There were so many things that had to be taken care of. Her family, getting a job, a place to live. All while making sure she could still be in the loud and hectic world of the city without hurting anyone. She missed the city. The way that it never slept and the way that it was so bright. Here, there was nothing but herself and that had been something that Gail had needed. It made her turn her eyes inward so that she could actually see, but now it was just holding her back. 

Holly looked at the woman sitting across her. There were galaxies churning behind those piercingly bright blue eyes, ones that Holly was starting to understand, starting to want to drown in, but still there was that part where she didn’t know anything else. There was so much to Gail that she did not know and so much that Gail did not know about her. The fear that she was just getting so much attention because she was the only person around was too great. “I don’t want to be the most convenient option,” she muttered, looking down. She couldn’t look at the depths behind those stars any more. She’d opened up to Gail about things more than she had to anyone in a long time. It made her sick to think of it in this way, but knowing a secret that could get Gail locked up forever made it easier to tell her things. A warm hand lifted to Holly’s cheek and Gail gently made her keep eye contact. Her gaze was hypnotizing and Holly let herself just fall. Maybe this was easier.

“I wouldn’t do that. You know I wouldn’t. You’ve earned my trust.” Gail’s voice was quiet as she spoke. She hated these feelings talks. All the ones she’d had before ended in pain. She clenched her jaw. It wouldn’t happen this time. Holly deserved this. So many other woman had rejected this beautiful and intelligent woman for all the wrong reasons, reasons that made Gail like her more. “I know what’s happened to you and you to me. We tell each other things, right?” 

“Yeah,” Holly agreed. “That’s true, but I’m your only non-family member contact that you’ve had in a few years. Like psychologically that can’t be like right.”

Gail snorted. “Alright, only contact would be a little much. I talk to the people at the grocery store and other places in town. You are just the only other person that I can trust. Big difference. You’ve proved yourself to me. It isn’t like I’m so desperate that the second you came along I was like oh my god make out with meeee.” She put a hand on her heart and gasped dramatically. Holly promptly smacked her lightly on the shoulder and Gail feel serious. “Seriously, Holls, I’m not some sad victim, I know what I’m doing and why. I had a life before this, but that included, you are honestly the most intriguing and kind person I’ve met. So don’t think that I’m just going off of my more animal instincts.” 

The speech had had Holly turning her head down, trying to hide that brilliant smile that Gail loved beyond anything she had known before, but at the last comment, she couldn’t help but give a small giggle. “You really didn’t just say that.” 

“Oh yes I did, Holly. And get used to it, as you know I’m fantastically hilarious.” 

“More like painfully cheesy.” And almost instantly they were back to that happy moment before they spoke. Holly marveled at how easily Gail was able to take her fears and turn them into joy. She reached over and took Gail’s hand, winding her fingers in-between the other woman’s. “Luckily for you, I like that sort of thing.” 

“I know.” Holly rolled her eyes and leaned in, touching her lips to Gail’s yet again. It almost seemed silly that she could doubt that this ridiculous, complicated, but kind person would ever be with her just for the sake of being with someone. Especially with her past. But those thoughts faded as Gail nipped her bottom lip to ones that were much less about their relationship and more about how good Gail felt. There weren’t any hesitant thoughts to hold either of them back this time. Hands unlocked and started roaming. Holly fell heavily on top of Gail, unable to stop herself from loosing balance. They both smiled, laughed and then locked lips again. Legs tangled together and one of them let out a soft moan. Holly couldn’t tell if it was her or Gail, but the sound made her want to hear more. Her hands ran across Gail’s stomach and she noted just how fit Gail was. True, she’d seen the sight in complete glory once before, but it hadn’t really registered, something about a wolf turning into a woman had distracted her. But that thought soon was lost again. Her breathing was getting hotter and coming faster. Gail’s leg was in-between hers and her hands under Holly’s shirt. Holly’s lips pulled away from Gail’s and started making their way to the pale skin of her neck. She registered the way that Gail tilted her head to give her more space and arched closer into her. Their bodies seemed to be working together, unspoken words moving them both together, closer, asking and giving more at the same time. 

At some point, Holly’s shirt had fallen to the floor, Gail’s crumpled next to it. She was also fairly sure that Gail was going to have a few marks on her skin the next day. They were both breathing heavily at this point. Bodies getting to the point where it felt like they might burst. Gail’s hand that had wrapped itself into the gorgeous locks of Holly’s hair tightened and she forced her mouth to make words. When she spoke, she sounded almost horse with how little she had been speaking. “Holly, do you want to move?” The other woman was in the middle of pushing Gail’s bra out of the way and she paused, breath curling up Gail’s skin, making her shiver slightly. 

“Move?” she repeated and then placed a kiss to the curve of the soft skin. Gail’s lips parted in a soft sigh and Holly grinned. Then Gail remembered what exactly she was trying to say.

“To the bed. Please?” The please is soft, vulnerable. And it reminds Holly that this is all new for Gail. She rises, noticing the way that Gail’s eyes drift to gaze at her and smiled. Holly, with an effort, tore herself off of Gail and pulled the other woman up as well, dragging them down the hall. Past the bathroom and into the room she had first woken up to lost and afraid, now a place of comfort and of safety and swung the door shut with a click. 

When the sun rose the next morning, it woke up Holly. Blearily, she rubbed her eyes and smiled when she felt the soft breathing of the woman next to her. Shifting to look at Gail better, Holly was struck on how she almost shone in the morning light. A finger lightly traced the curve of Gail’s jaw and Holly felt something settle deep in her chest. The night had been amazing. For someone who’d never been with another woman, Gail had been more than impressive. The whole thing had been, well, everything. More than once had she cried out Gail’s name, feeling herself break and be mended by the other woman’s touch again and again. She had gotten at least that much out of Gail as well. This was too new to be love, but it was something different and something to be protected. That much Holly knew. She shifted closer, shutting her eyes again and just let the warmth of the moment seep into her bones. It was something that she wanted to remember for the rest of her life. Never had she ever had such an ease of mind in the morning after. Usually her brain was busy with ways to improve or to keep the other person from feeling to crowded, something to keep her mind busy, but with Gail it wasn’t there. Instead she let her eyes close, trying to ignore the glittering light of the sun through the trees and let herself drift off again. There was no rush. Nothing to force herself to try and solve. Here, she could just exist next to Gail. A blessing that they both needed. Funny how things fell into your life when you least expected them, thought Holly as her mind started to fall back into the fuzziness of sleep. That final thought made her move a little closer to Gail, if that was even possible. It was just peaceful. 

The time spent in the cabin were only the start to something that both Gail and Holly couldn’t have foreseen. When Holly’s time for work ran out, she went back to the city, Gail promising to join her soon. She had to talk to her family first. The few weeks that followed had them communicating only by email. It was a struggle, moving from being together all the time to only conversations by text, but they both agreed that this was for the best and it needed to be done. A few times they skipped and one time, after an especially difficult time after talking to her mother, Gail had called Holly. It had been hard to convince her mother that she was ready and able to come back to the city, but Gail had done it somehow. They had decided that she should have her own apartment and start to slowly get back to her life before from there. Holly had been there to help her move in. In fact they had christened every surface of the place after the rest of the people helping Gail had left. A surprising number of people had come. Her old sort of friends from the division had showed up. They hadn’t known what had happened to Gail and none had been brave enough to ask what had happened to her so they had relied on rumors. None had been especially kind rumors, but Gail didn’t care and they didn’t ask her directly. Instead they had welcomed her back and made noises about wishing to have her back. Gail had made the obligatory statements of not knowing and they had left feeling better about themselves as people. Holly had remained silent. The others had recognized her from the morgue and apparently had just assumed that Gail had known her and simply not mentioned it. She smiled later at the thought, knowing that was highly likely for Gail to have actually done. But this was a step in the right direction and she knew it had been hard on Gail. When the other woman had pushed her into the counter by the kitchen, Holly had accepted the desire and let it wash over them. It had been so long since they’d been able to touch, let alone hold each other closely and she had ached for Gail. It felt good to know that even with them being apart after their close and intimate beginning, that the feelings still lasted and it had reassured the part of her that seemed to constantly worry. This was something that they were going to figure out together. Neither was sure what the future held, but now, there was so much more hope in the distance. It wasn’t typical. It never would be. But it worked for them and that struck them both as something more important than paying attention to the way the rest of the world’s ideas. When they’d finally made their way to Gail’s new bed, Holly leaned in and softly kissed Gail’s lips. “Thank you.”

Gail frowned and tilted her head. The sudden seriousness wasn’t a bad thing, but she hadn’t been expecting it. “For what, Holly?” 

“Everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient and I'm glad to finally give you another installment of this fic. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Just figured I'd repost this on here for people who don't like my theme. :) Hope you enjoy. It isn't nearly finished, but I'm planning on picking this back up soon.


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